The surge in COVID-19 cases has caused the temporary lockdown of more seats of government and health facilities in Negros Occidental.
Mayor Neil Lizares said the new Talisay City Hall will be closed on Monday and Tuesday while contact tracing and disinfection are underway.
An employee assigned at the Talisay City Public Market tested positive for COVID-19 and contact tracing showed that the person had gone to the Talisay City Hall, he said.
Mayor Rogelio Raymund Tongson, who tested positive for COVID-19, ordered the lockdown of the Himamaylan City Hall, City Health Office and Barangay Health Centers for seven days starting Saturday to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Mayor Rhumyla Nicor Mangilimutan said the La Castellana municipal hall will be closed from Monday to Wednesday for disinfection and government employees have been instructed to work from home.
A La Castellana municipal employee and several barangay officials have tested positive for COVID-19, she said.
However, department heads and those in vital and essential services are on-call and may be required to report for work should it be necessary, she added.
Mayor Richard Jaojoco on Sunday said the Toboso Rural Health Unit will be closed Monday and Tuesday for disinfection and contact tracing after health workers tested positive for COVID-19.
A 7-day granular lockdown will be enforced in Sitio Polopangyan in Barangay Bug-ang, from April 12 to 18 because of the rise in COVID-19 cases, Jaojoco said.
The granular lockdown in Bug-ang proper will also be extended to April 18 because of the increase in COVID-19 cases, he added.
The Valladolid municipal government also announced that its Municipal Health Office, including its birthing clinic, was temporarily closed Saturday until further notice.
“Our midwives are RT-PCR positive and several more of our staff and patients are close contacts,” the announcement said.
The Hinigaran Municipal Health Office and Birthing Facility will also be temporarily closed from Monday to Wednesday after one of its staff tested positive for COVID-19.*